I work in a managerial/supervisory role in a public agency. My colleagues who are union members will quite likely be going on strike Tuesday. I have never been in this situation before and am not sure what I can/should do.
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posted by anonymous
on May 23, 2013 -
6 answers
Is there a classification of (HR-speak) discrimination when a male employee defers to female coworkers chivalrously (e.g. holding doors open)? Because the activity is solely based on gender, it seems like this would be the case, but it is not addressed as an example in our policies. (Title is Dad-quote from the 70's.)
posted by panmunjom
on May 23, 2013 -
26 answers
My office was submitting a grant and the wrong application was uploaded to the grant agency website. My coworker submitted the final documents - and it is clear to me already that he will find a way to throw me under the bus if he has to, to protect his interests. How do I approach this?
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posted by anonymous
on May 16, 2013 -
12 answers
My boss has hired her unqualified problem child son to work in my workplace. I have no idea how to deal with him.
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posted by anonymous
on May 9, 2013 -
32 answers
I'm looking for insight about what is reasonable or "normal" expectations for a temp worker in an office situation.
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posted by Ouisch
on May 8, 2013 -
22 answers
A coworker told me that our boss is sleeping with another coworker, his subordinate, our peer. This is the latest development in a dysfunctional workplace. I would like to quit on ethical grounds without implicating the friend that told me. Help, please.
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posted by sabatourist
on Apr 30, 2013 -
42 answers
Lately I've been exploring books along the lines of "career advice for women," specifically to explore why I've been having trouble making myself heard effectively in my current work environment. I've found a couple of books that made me go "wow, I wish someone had given me this advice when I was 20" and now I'm wondering what else I'm missing.
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posted by sldownard
on Mar 22, 2013 -
8 answers
I'm visiting pathology labs for work, and want to be respectful of the workplace attire. I've seen a couple of labs in California, where jeans are practically the dress code in every industry. Traveling to Omaha this week and Tampa next week. What to wear?
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posted by nadise
on Mar 17, 2013 -
8 answers
I've heard that men don't like questions. I'm a woman and would like to have better relationships with the men in my life. Give me some examples of ways to rephrase questions into statements, directives or imperatives.
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posted by geekgirl397
on Mar 15, 2013 -
40 answers
What is with my workplace? Need help dealing personally and professionally with a variety of inappropriate behavior from my coworkers and supervisor.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 7, 2013 -
42 answers
When shooting and preparing an image file for print, I've always tried to set things up so that the highlights are bright, the shadows are dark, and everything else is in the middle. At work, I've occasionally been told by my immediate superior that I'm overexposing my images, and that the highlight detail is, in their words, 'blown away'. Checking my files, the highlights in the images in question cut off around 245, sometimes as low as 240! Is there a reason why they'd want the highlights even greyer?
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posted by rhooke
on Feb 28, 2013 -
12 answers
Glenda thinks because we met up a few times outside work, we can now be besties. Problem is, this time spent together made me realize Glenda is not someone I want to be friends with.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 28, 2013 -
28 answers
I just started a new job as a researcher. They hired a few people around the same time as me and we all have start dates around now-ish. I've been there a week. There is a new guy starting in my department in a more senior position than me, but not supervising me, on Monday. I just got his name today and looked him up, and... there are some things about him that a little bit of digging uncovered that are sketchy. (It's definitely him, please give me the benefit of the doubt here.) His job is not likely to be impacted by these revelations about his recent past, but if it were to get out that his history includes these things, it could endanger my company's reputation if a competitor or journalist found out. Nothing he did is illegal.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 1, 2013 -
18 answers
In my day to day life, I often have to deal with people who, instead of asking questions, make assumptions aloud at you about what you're going to be doing despite the fact that these assumptions may not be accurate. A lot of the time these techniques are used along with someone pretending to be so hopelessly helpless that they could not possibly take care of their own workplace problems.
Basically, it's a technique used by weasels.
For example:
"I know you're going to be very helpful during this process because..." or "I don't know x from z so it's a good thing you are here to handle that part"
They will also make assumptions about what you would and would not do. "I know you wouldn't want x or z to happen because..."
These things are usually in no way true. In fact, the weasel in question often knows they're not true, they're just testing boundaries.
So my question is generally, how does one push back against these behaviors without being rude, jarring and literal? Especially if you're dealing with a weasel -- they're better at this than you. I tend to shut down in the presence of weaselry, giving them very little the work with, but this doesn't seem like the best solution.
posted by Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night
on Feb 1, 2013 -
19 answers
I got a full-time job offer and will be giving my two weeks' notice to my current freelance gig. I want to give the people I've worked with a nice little gift before leaving. It's a big company so I can't take them all out to lunch/happy hour. Any ideas on what would be appropriate and not terribly expensive?
posted by Anima Mundi
on Jan 28, 2013 -
6 answers
I'd appreciate your advice on dealing with what seems to me racist joking/bantering at work -- particularly when it's directed at me. This is my first white-collar job since moving to North America, and I think this kind of "joking around" is unacceptable but this office's culture seems to tolerate it.
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posted by papafrita
on Jan 27, 2013 -
32 answers
Went to birthday thing at a restaurant/bowling place for a work friend. There were 6 of us here. I consider the people there work-friends, in that I generally don't hang out with them outside of work. I was surprised that 3 of the friends gave gifts to the birthday girl, while the other guy bought her drinks and food. I tried to offer to pay for part of the entertainment cost but was begged off. So I felt like I didn't contribute much to the birthday celebration and possibly commited a faux pas in not getting a gift. I was under the impression that people at work who weren't that close don't give birthday gifts to each other.
Did I commit a faux pas? Should I give a belated gift?
posted by Pantalaimon
on Jan 9, 2013 -
11 answers
I'm officially a supervisor. My first-ever subordinate starts tomorrow. What are some of the best things that great bosses have done or said on your first day? Specifics inside.
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posted by wjm
on Jan 7, 2013 -
30 answers
This fall, when I was unemployed and job hunting, I discovered I was pregnant, kind of like this person: http://ask.metafilter.com/207069/Should-I-reveal-my-pregnancy-in-job-interviews. I did not mention this during interviews, but when I got an offer, I brought it up with the hiring manager as part of my negotiation. I was very pleased that it did not seem like a liability, and he promised I'd be made eligible for their paid maternity leave even though I would have only been there about six months. He also said he'd leave it up to me to tell my boss and team with at least 4 months advance notice.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 27, 2012 -
21 answers
Starting to feel uncomfortable about work events which are allegedly optional but don't turn out to be. How to approach this with boss?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 21, 2012 -
19 answers
How to enforce a drug free / alcohol free workplace policy when executives drink with clients during the workday? What does your company do?
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posted by falldownpaul
on Dec 10, 2012 -
28 answers
Despite my otherwise agreeable work environment, I have a boss who's increasingly scolding me for following standard procedures and doing my job as normal.
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 28, 2012 -
9 answers
When I first started my current job as a graduate researcher at a nominally Catholic university as an American in Belgium, my boss played a quick prank on me where he came into my office, plopped down a copy of the New Testament in Flemish, and told me I needed to study up to pass some kind of religious test. The way he did it, it was pretty funny and I’m looking for ways to prank him back.
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posted by Blasdelb
on Nov 28, 2012 -
7 answers
What are the rules for "optional" but not really optional work-related events for non-exempt employees?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 3, 2012 -
14 answers
I've just been diagnosed with ADHD, and have started an initial stimulant-based management plan. I'm in my mid-forties, and work in a very traditional industry and come from a not-very-accepting Old World culture. How open do I need to be with colleagues and friends that I'm doing this?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 13, 2012 -
11 answers
What's the best way to scrub my online presence for protection from a potential-future snoopy boss, etc?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 5, 2012 -
13 answers
I work at a business of a type that gets rated on sites like yelp and google. My boss has always been concerned about the low ratings we get (which are honestly not that bad). I'm pretty sure the boss is taking it personally and I have trouble believing that the business could be losing money due to low ratings.
Yesterday, at the boss's orders, all the lower-downs in the clinic, including me, were handed instructions to post positive reviews on some specific sites, pretending to be clients. We were each assigned a day to do it and told which sites "really needed" a positive review and which ones didn't matter so much.
I think this is pretty pathetic, also against these sites' policies obviously, and I absolutely don't want to do it. What can I say to the boss or to my manager that will get me out of this assignment?
posted by srs airbag
on Oct 2, 2012 -
21 answers
How do you deal with people who make insensitive, hurtful comments about your disability at school / in the workplace?
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posted by OrangeCat
on Sep 21, 2012 -
19 answers
My employer seems to be pushing me toward filing an EEOC complaint or resigning my job. What do I do?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 28, 2012 -
21 answers
I'm fairly new at my job (about six weeks in), and I have a co-worker who coughs all day long at ~30-second intervals. All. Day. Long.
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posted by yalestar
on Aug 23, 2012 -
33 answers
My employer wants all employees to provide lab results in order to receive a deduction in insurance premiums. OK, or a little too Big Brother-ish?
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posted by bookmammal
on Aug 20, 2012 -
22 answers
I am in a negative, dysfunctional office environment with very little supervisory support for all parties involved. I have been seeking other employment but that's besides the point of this post, I would like any advice on my immediate options in this situation and how to make it any more tolerable?
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posted by wannabecounselor
on Jul 18, 2012 -
4 answers
I started a new job in a completely new place and I want to be the best colleague I can be. What are some tips or commonsense things for me to remember and internalize about appropriate workplace behavior?
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 13, 2012 -
8 answers
I've unintentionally become the person that a coworker feels comfortable venting to, and in this case, I don't like it. How do I make it stop without causing too much trouble? [Hoo boy, this ended up long!]
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posted by mudpuppie
on Jun 20, 2012 -
19 answers
While faxing at the front desk at my job, a few co-workers were sitting around chatting. An African American co-worker was telling few Hispanic co-workers a story about how her and her friends were overlooked while shopping at Coach, "because the clerk was only paying attention to the (mouths the word "white" while my back was turned) girls. She goes on the explain that they left the store and called to complain that they were ignored because of their race. I was the only white person there (and not part of the conversation) and I would never have been telling a story if the reverse was true, so was this racism in the workplace? I surely felt uncomfortable. What can/should I do?
posted by EquineProcine
on Jun 18, 2012 -
49 answers
A married coworker made a pass at me - help me stop feeling like I need to peel all my skin off.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 2, 2012 -
38 answers
My sister received a dream job offer but for one thing - the man who will be her direct supervisor was definitely looking at her boobs both times she went into the office for the interviews.
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posted by pluot
on May 21, 2012 -
33 answers
Former intern has become mentally ill and sends numerous disturbing (but not threatening) emails. Not sure how to proceed.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 16, 2012 -
28 answers
I have started a new job at a established internet startup. Decorating your cube is a big deal around here. I need ideas for something cool. As I am a project manager, I would like to have something somewhat professional but also creative / aesthetic pleasing. Any ideas for cube flair? Any cool cubes you have seen that aren't over the top? Help me have the coolest cube ever!!!
posted by jasondigitized
on Mar 28, 2012 -
7 answers
What is the URL of that tumblr with pictures of graphic designers working while their bosses look over their shoulders?
posted by whimsicalnymph
on Mar 26, 2012 -
1 answer
